Just back from the 8th “Domestic” European Hip Society (EHS) meeting in Madrid… We have got there the opportunity to meet previous, current and future OW Users at our first official OrthoWave booth and could demonstrate all critical functionalities that are right now afforded by the OW version 6. Obviously the whole congress has been studious and fruitful upon a friendly Spanish atmosphere. Congratulations to Eduardo Garcia-Cimbrelo, President of the European Hip Society, for organizing the meeting in a so famous city… We have been delighted to share a cocktail in the famous Bernabeu stadium, visit the Prado and especially the Goya exhibition, order tapas here and there and clap on “flamenco tablaos”… Viva España!
One of the last symposia was devoted to National joint registers (or registries…) as “Present & future of hip arthroplasty registers in Europe”. The first concern during the discussion has in fact regarded the term to be used while speaking about. It seems that Scandinavian prefer the term of “register”, and were historically the first to gather such type of information. Conversely UK surgeons remain keen on their “registry” British fashion… Anyway, as an attempt to reach an easy consensus, it has been decided that the two terms register and registry could be used as well !… More seriously, the compliance and related rate of participation remain a serious concern, as apart from Scandinavian registers, this rate is very low in all countries, even in the UK, and lower again in some others. Several explanations can rise up to explain such a relative disregard for registers. The top concern would be that surgeons are reluctant to anticipate any roughshod resolution from Governments and third party payers about reimbursement of implants, which could be based upon a so limited tool in Joint clinical results evaluation. Another major concern, as suggested by Karl-Göran Thorngren, General Secretary of EFORT, regards the boring double entry data in order firstly to evaluate their implants upon any outcome study tool, and secondly feed the register…
As a matter of fact, OrthoWave V6 can deal at best with these two concerns… Registers cannot really evaluate the true outcome of each implant, since only based upon a few demographic data and very limited information regarding retrieval as unique endpoint, excluding all important parameters as complications and clinical assessments as well as radiological features. Obviously, Outcome Study Softwares and Registers are two different tools, the first being able to deliver consistent information about clinical and radiological assessment and complications rates, while “fine tuning” the survivorship analyses, whilst the latter affording an interesting global “snapshot” on the status of various types of implants or means to fit them in each country. In such a way, evaluation must be devoted to specific outcome study softwares, while registers provide consistent epidemiology. These two concerns are not competitors, but complementary, and thus any means to link these two systems together through a single entry data procedure could be seen as soundly beneficial. Interestingly, OrthoWave can already meet this expectation. The appropriate data collection mimicking the existing register forms have been yet or will be soon added to the regular data gathered by the EDC (electronic data collection) of OrthoWave V6. So the OW User can first input data as usual and fill in the various windows of OrthoWave… He simply afterwards has to select the appropriate Register he is affiliated to: all data that already exist in the OW forms are automatically duplicated in the register data collection, while a few others that specifically regard the Register are simply to be inputted as well. He then pushes the “send out” button and a self generate XML document is created by OrthoWave and sent out to the Register… In short, OrthoWave allows as a “single entry data” procedure for a precise and “fine tuned” joint replacement evaluation as well as a consistent participation in Registers.
These links to Registers are a main concern in OrthoWave present and future developments. We so far have been l to the UK NJR and are waiting for the MDS3 update from the NJR persons. An appointment has been scheduled by the fall of this month with the University of Bern to discuss about a link between OW and the French Register. At the same time, some projects are or will be soon in the pipe with the Belgium Register and the INAMI commission, as well as the RIPO Italian from the Rizzoli Institute, and maybe later on with the Register of Lombardy and Pr Luigi Zagra in Italy. Hopefully some contacts would be expected with the European EFORT Association, or any other register within or outside of Europe… More to see!
I would just again thank all our present and future OW users for their confidence and strong support, tell them we were so happy to meet them during this congress, and at last wish them a very pleasant summer time !…
So, best regards from the entire OW staff and … Be OrthoWaved!